Oompa Loompa 901 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Well we've done the wind trainer to road threads. Say a wind trainer of 60 minutes equals an 90 minutes on the road. Is a mountain bike hour the equivalent of 2hrs on the road ? Discuss Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ruley 819 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Apples vs oranges. Mtb on a good course is heaps more fun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diamonds 468 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Depends if you ride up what you come down. I just did a couple of hours on mt keira. Ride up the trails, then bomb down. Better all body workout, that's for sure. You can bludge in both though. I see plenty of people getting lifts up in utes. Not much of a workout just coming down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Honcho 298 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Straight compared with heart rates I find 28km/hr on road bike is about the same as 22km/hr on mtb on the same surface and 17km/hr on fire trail type terrain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
prizna 715 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Way different don't think you can compare unless you're asking road in road to mtb on road. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
truck 522 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Every time I ride my mtb I fall off so I'd say much harder 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ex-Hasbeen 8,122 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Depends how hard you ride your road bike. I've done a 30min TT where I couldn't stand at the end. Don't know how MTB could be harder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Esoteric 502 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Different muscles too, I find my hammies get more of a workout on the mtb I think from spinning up long climbs, feel it in the quads after standing for multiple long descents. An hour on the mtb is harder than an hour on the road (spinning) but an hour TTing is harder than both. So I reckon TT / intervals > mtb > non-specific road riding Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mhvh 157 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Yes. I think it is approximately Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sammy_Brown 26 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Intensity on a xc Mtb course is higher and more variable. 100 x more fun than anything else. For me it combines the painful grind of aerobic exercise and off road dirt bike riding. And MTB's love a beer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trek52 474 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 It's great fun but don't see how it is different to a road ride. Depends how hard u go. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tired 10 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I just compare the hours as distance is no use - you know how hard you have been working (a hard hour = a hard hour, 20 min spent at the cafe = 20 min watching the view or your mates fall off (if you don't do it at least once a day yourself then you aren't really trying) ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ironpo 3,020 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 It's great fun but don't see how it is different to a road ride. Depends how hard u go. Intensity on a xc Mtb course is higher and more variable. 100 x more fun than anything else. For me it combines the painful grind of aerobic exercise and off road dirt bike riding. And MTB's love a beer. Depends if you ride up what you come down. I just did a couple of hours on mt keira. Ride up the trails, then bomb down. Better all body workout, that's for sure. You can bludge in both though. I see plenty of people getting lifts up in utes. Not much of a workout just coming down. Apples vs oranges. Mtb on a good course is heaps more fun. All this is rightIt's all in the amount of effort you put into it I jst did the audax 250k ride with near on 5000m of climbing on my fatbike , as I wanted to ride with mrs IP all day the FB it brought my effort back to a simular one to hers on her roady because im on my FB ( we still smashed many ) If I had of road my road bike by myself I would have gone harder but finished 3 hrs quicker but had a harder workout and been smashed If I had of road my fatbike by myself and went as hard as I could I would have finished 1.5 hr earlier but would have been smashed All comes back to effort Mtb or FB is way more fun , doesn't matter how you look at it Cheers IVP 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trifun 446 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 All comes back to effort Mtb or FB is way more fun , doesn't matter how you look at it And dirt tastes sooooo much better than bitumen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phoebus 110 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I saw a guy on a 29'er holding onto a group going 25 on beach road this morning... serious insect. Was Cancellara'ing on the flat bars! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sammy_Brown 26 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 All this is right It's all in the amount of effort you put into it I jst did the audax 250k ride with near on 5000m of climbing on my fatbike , as I wanted to ride with mrs IP all day the FB it brought my effort back to a simular one to hers on her roady because im on my FB ( we still smashed many ) If I had of road my road bike by myself I would have gone harder but finished 3 hrs quicker but had a harder workout and been smashed If I had of road my fatbike by myself and went as hard as I could I would have finished 1.5 hr earlier but would have been smashed All comes back to effort Mtb or FB is way more fun , doesn't matter how you look at it Cheers IVP Yay I saw the specialized fat boy fat bike in a LBS. I thought of you ip [emoji106] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sammy_Brown 26 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 All comes back to effort Mtb or FB is way more fun , doesn't matter how you look at it And dirt tastes sooooo much better than bitumen Yes, agree Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ironpo 3,020 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 I saw a guy on a 29'er holding onto a group going 25 on beach road this morning... serious insect. Was Cancellara'ing on the flat bars!On the 250 ride I dragged 14 blokes (and mrs IP) up hill into a head wind for 23 k from Omeo to angles rest on my fatbikeNot one came to the front but they all said "gee that thing must be hard to ride" as I passed all of them They then tucked in and some stayed on and some dropped off Cheers IVP Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MountainMan 894 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Assuming actual physical effort is the same, Trainer is easiest because you just sit there, you can even close your eyes, you don't even use your upper body. Road is next easiest as the road is usually clear of major debris, corners are more visible and traction is generally consistent, minimum upper body usage. Mountain bike(assuming off road) is the hardest because on top of the physical effort(which is the same as the other two) it is cognitively challenging, there can be major obstacles you get less visibility of the approaching corners, traction can be highly variable, upper body gets a work out. Running is harder than all of them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DingoDave 130 Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 63.45% harder ... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ozzybuds 220 Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 Running is harder than all of them. Treadmill, track, road or trail running? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Niseko 779 Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 A bit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thekeeper 52 Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 Depends. If you are a poor mountain biker it is hard to keep up with the same level athletes you would ride with on the road. EG top 5 % If you are a good mountain biker with good skills/corner speed it is easier than road to compete at the same level because you can save a lot of energy when others an't. I disagree with the comment it is a good upper body workout. You are doing it wrong if it is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hotdiggitydog 38 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 All different but in the end it comes down to time pedalling and level of exertion. MTB may seem harder as the hills are typically steeper but shorter so one minute you're working your arse off, the next you are freewheeling. If you could measure the amount of nervous energy between them, I'd say MTB would be way ahead due to the all too frequent "oh f*ck" moments! ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kamal2 228 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 There are so many ways to view it. MTB v Road bike, but MTB is ridden on the road. About 4 hours on a road bike averaging 30 over a road with hills and flats....vs 4 hours on a mountain bike, same course but less distance. 4 hours on a MTB is a pretty good effort (we usually have a stop, road bike may not stop), so I would think something along the lines of 3hrs MTB=4 hrs roadie.. However. 3hrs MTB off road, has some well defined down time...eg when training and approaching hard technical sections before and after you would naturally ease off. Road biker does not consciously ease off, in group or solo. Like on a hard technical downhill, scary as hell, but low wattage output.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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